27 additives banned for moon cakes in Shenzhen

The prices for moon cakes have risen by ten to twenty percent this year due to the increase of the price of the ingredients that are filled in the moon cakes and the imposing of the national regulation for fewer additives.

In China, as known, moon cakes are popular food for the Mid-Autumn Festival. In former years, the moon cake “battle” in the marketplaces and supermarkets in Shenzhen usually started in early July according to lunar calendar. However, the moon cakes this year only appeared in the markets no more than month away from the Festival. It’s found after relevant investigation, due to the strict additive control of the new Food Additives Using Standard, the production of moon cakes are all postponed for fresh-keeping purpose. Large amount of moon cakes will be produced in the middle of this month.

The new national regulation of Food Additives Using Standard was formally implemented on June 20, which regulated the varieties and using scope of antiseptic, bleacher and other food additives in a stricter way and even banned 27 food additives in this year’s moon cakes. Forbidden to be added to moon cake are calcium peroxide and ammonium sulfate that is used to whiten the flour, the use of coloring and preservatives were also limited. Reducing additives in moon cakes means the quality guarantee period is relatively reduced. Therefore, the moon cake producing enterprises in Shenzhen all postpone the production date.

The prices of moon cake have risen by ten to twenty percent this year due to increase of prices of the ingredients that should be place inside the moon cakes.